Nightmares
by Darkened.Weakness
Summary: Remnants of the life Harry led while fighting Voldemort still haunt him. Fortunately, Ginny is there. Post Deathly Hallows, not quite 19 years later. One shot.


Ginny woke to a horrible yell from the side of the room.

It took her several minutes to realize what was happening, and then to figure out where her husband had ended up. She flipped the bedside lamp on and flew out from the blankets, stopping a few feet in front of Harry. He was still in a nightmare, his eyes screwed shut as his breaths came in quick pants.

"Harry. You're alright."

His breaths quickened, and she slowly reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. But just as she'd expected, that made him cringe away from her, his mind telling him it was Voldemort or one of the death eaters, that he wasn't safe.

"You're safe, Harry. We're in our room. James, Lily, and Albus are all in their rooms, all fast asleep. Albus took a bottle just a few hours ago, remember? You gave him his bottle."

She watched as Harry continued breathing in sharp gasps, fear etched in every line in his face.

She didn't want to do it, but she wasn't sure what else she could do for him. So without a second's hesitation, she pulled her hand back and brought it down across his face.

The smack was loud, and for a moment she was afraid that she'd woken one of the boys, who slept in the room next door. But that was forgotten when Harry's eyes flew open and found her, still deep in the fear that had taken him in sleep.

"You're fine, Harry. You're fine." She pulled him close to her, wrapping her arms around him and letting him settle from the nightmare. It took several long minutes, but slowly she felt him calm, felt the fear dissipate just as the nightmare had.

"Ginny, I'm fine." He said after a while, and she pulled away to look him in the eyes.

"No you're not, but you're getting more convincing."

"Really, I-"

"What was it about?"

She saw the slump in his shoulders, the reluctance to reveal that information. But she stared hard at him until his green eyes met hers and gave in.

"Voldemort was back." A hand reached up to rub at the scar, an old habit that would never completely die. "He had the kids, but I couldn't save them. I couldn't get there, because _he_ was standing there, between us, and I was afraid... you were already dead, you were lying next to him, and I couldn't... I couldn't _do_ anything, there was nothing, no miraculous save from the boy who lived. He was going to kill them, had..." But he couldn't continue, and Ginny saw that in his eyes. So she pulled him close again for a few seconds before taking his hand. She pulled him to his feet, and led him out of their room.

First she cracked the door of the boys' room, making sure they weren't disturbed. James stared at her, but Albus seemed to be deep asleep. She silently asked him to get up, and he did so, despite the confusion and sleep in every movement. When he got to the door, Harry picked him up and held him, tightly, an arm rubbing gentle circles on his back.

"Why are you awake?" He asked quietly, moving to watch Albus sleep. The youngest boy was a deeper sleeper than Ron Weasley.

"I heard a noise."

"What kind of noise?"

The pause said he'd heard dad yell, but the answer was, "I don't know." Harry berated himself once again for not being in control of himself, not being able to handle the nightmares that no doubt everyone else had. But not visibly, not for James to see.

"Did it scare you?" He asked quietly.

"No, daddy. It just woke me up."

"Then you should go back to sleep. We've got to go to the zoo tomorrow, remember?"

But he didn't set James down for a moment, squeezing him tightly in his arms to remind himself that _this_ was real. This. Then he gently kissed his son's hair before setting him down and ushering him back to his bed.

Harry whispered good night before closing the door and making his way to the kitchen, followed by his wife.

"Go back to bed, Ginny. I'll be there soon."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

She stared hard at him once again, demanding the truth. And he sighed and ran a hand through his hair before grabbing a cup from one of the cupboards. He filled it with water and took a deep drink before returning his attention to his wife.

"It was just a dream, alright?"

"Harry."

Another sigh, another drink. "I just thought it'd be under control by now." He answered quietly, not meeting her eyes.

"You can't just control this, Harry, I've told you."

"But-"

"No, no buts. You went through the more traumatic events than anyone else alive, and you're still a functioning adult. Functioning parent, even. Just because you have some nightmares-"

"And the trigger words. Don't forget those."

"Harry."

"And the anxiety, and the panic attacks."

"You have medication for those-"

"But I know they're still there, waiting-"

"Harry James Potter, stop feeling sorry for yourself." Ginny's voice wasn't any louder, but it carried all the weight of a yell. "You've been through Hell and back, and you've survived it."

"I died once." The words were said without humor, which was for the best, because Ginny wasn't laughing.

"You're alive, you have three beautiful children, and you're still fighting to make sure something that evil doesn't happen again, to save some poor kid from going through the same things you went through. That comes with a price, but that price is never – and _will_ never – be easy. But it's not too much for you, or I wouldn't be here. If I thought you couldn't handle it, that you'd be a danger to me or the children, I'd have taken them and gone. But you _can_ handle it, and you do. Don't let Voldemort control you now that he's gone."

"Ginny-"

"Harry."

They stared at each other for a long while. Finally, Ginny offered a hand to him, and he took it. She led him back to their bedroom after once more checking that the kids – this time James included – were asleep. And then she put him to bed, pulling the blankets up around them both and flipping the switch on the light.

"Could we-" But he didn't have to ask, not really. She flipped the light back on and wrapped her arms around his waist, curling up around him.

"You're strong, Harry Potter. You prove that everyday. Don't let the nights say any different."

"I love you, Ginny Potter."

"I love you too."

 **AN: Thanks for reading my little oneshot, hope you've enjoyed it!**


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